Networking with both IP and IPX

I can't get my ME and XP system to talk to each other no matter what. I also tried network wizard (which always fails at the end, and tells me to go manual), assigning private 192.*.*.* IP, IPX, enabling Netbios over IP, and zip. No matter what, they will not see each other. I even plugged the two together using a TP null modem, and the xp and me systems couldn't even ping each other. I'm running pro, but after this experience I'd be very reluctant to run this in a mixed os/protocol enviroment...I'd hate to be the poor tech who had to make it work on a netword running Novell (IPX)..

Let me clarify my present situation...

I do not want access to the internet for the older ME. I'd considered this awhile back when our ISP decided to charge extra for the second IP...plus, I'd had good experience hooking the p2p together using ipx/spx...IPX was reliable, and secure from the outside world (unbound from netbios). I just use the older system for storage. That's about all it's good for. I had (back before October) been using my two systems, both loaded with ME, one with IPX (older) and the newer TCP/IP and IPX/SPX....IP for the internet, IPX for internal.
Let me describe the hub. It's a small 3Com 8/TPO (8 port switch assignable)... Into this is plugged 1) my AsusA7V133 AMD 1.33 system, now running XP Pro. 2) Teryon Cable Modem with Crossover cable (for internet access) 3) P233 Millenium system...

This is only done for convienance (plugging into the hub) by allowing all system to talk to one another (except the modem to the older system, again keeping it seperate for security nothing more). The hub (in this setup) is nothing more then that. A hub...

I'm keeping it simple. I use the XP system to ftp, run G3 server occasionally, connect to the internet...etc....The other system is storage for my old files. Nothing more.

Hopefully this clarifies what I'm doing...

I'd really rather avoid hooking the systems together with IP...even private IP. It would allow insiders into the older system, and I don't need the extra headache. IPX works fine, so I'd like to stay with it for internal routing...If I can get it working reliably on both system...I'm just not sure what they won't talk to one another. Netbios is bound to IPX so I'm not sure why it won't work (unbound for IP)...

OK, IPX is only "secure" because it *shouldn't* be routed out by your cable modem. Also, it's just a poor protocol to begin with regardless of how it may have performed in the past (Novell had to suck it up on their NIC-killer, thank God). In any case, since you have your cable modem plugged into your switch, it is probably assigning an IP via DHCP to your AMD box, correct? So, I am under the assumption that you might be getting a 24.*.*.* address for your AMD box, and without a router you would connect to your other machine unless you were using an IP in the same subnet. You also stated that you REALLY REALLY don't want to use an internal IP range (even though the internal traffic would need to be routed out regardless so there isn't a security issue there) so you are left with either IPX/SPX (ick) and NetBEUI (double ick).

IPX/SPX--If you are looking to "see" the machines in Network Neighborhood, you will need to enable NetBIOS over IPX/SPX. Once you have this setup, you should see the machines via Network Neighborhood (giving a decent cycle time for the browse master) and be able to use "\\computername\sharename" like all good little windows boxes do.

NetBEUI--You would have to do a custom installation for this, and I posted a link describing how to do this earlier around here somewhere.

Personally, since you can't bind another IP to the NIC of the XP box (due to it being DHCP) I would probably just throw another NIC in it, have the modem hooked up to it and use the current NIC for the LAN using the protocol of choice. Or, go the easy route and get a cheap Linksys home router and be done with the whole thing.

Yeah, I hear what you're saying clutch. Put a second card in, and then assign an external IP to one nic, and internal (10.*.*.1 etc) to the other. From what I read almost everywhere (mostly here for that matter), it looks like anyone who's running a small in- house P2P is doing it this way.....

I guess I'm just thick headed. I had this setup working fine with the two ME boxes. I guess I just can't understand why it won't work with this setup. I did bind the IPX with Netbios, (unchecking for IP of course), went to browse in Network Neighbourhood, and nothing. No matter how long I left it...I think maybe I've turned too many things off in my quest to tweak and kill to many services. It's the only thing I can think of...

Did you actually try to go directly to the other machine using \\machinename? Network Neighborhood relies on a cycle time for the Master Browser if there is no WINS box around for name and resource resolution. Just try to use the machine name first. Also, right click on the "Network Neighborhood" on the XP box, and select "Properties", then go to "Advanced>Advanced Settings" and make sure that the Internal NIC is higher up on the resource list than the external one. You might also want to bump up IPX/SPX if you are getting major delays in name resolution (this shouldn't affect web usage, as HTTP, FTP, etc are part of the TCP/IP suite and go straight to that binding).

Just remember, IPX/SPX is a very dead protocol and just needs to be buried. TCP/IP is very secure if it's setup properly.